A peaceful morning listening to birds and other wildlife around the pond is momentarily broken by the rumble of these EMD's and their train for about 20 minutes as they work in unison on the two h... (more)

Ore loads behind an all EMD power trio glide down the Northshore Mining mainline between the mine at Babbitt and the plant at Silver Bay.

The morning train of taconite bearing rock from the mine at Babbitt, MN makes it's way past the large pond near Toimi, MN at the half way point on the trip to the plant at Silver Bay, MN.

A North Shore Mining SD40-3 leads a work train through the dense fog in Toimi, MN.

A matched pair of SD9043AC's pull empty ore cars from the shores of Lake Superior towards the mine at Babbit

North Shore Mining's 5am loads are about half ways along their 46 mile run from Babbitt to Silver Bay.

The 11am crude taconite ore train out of Babbitt is powered by leased CIT SD9043MAC and a couple of SD40-3's.

Two leased MACs lead a Northshore Mining SD40-3 toward Silver Bay with a short ore train.

Sometimes you have to take what the railroad gives you. Northshore Mining loads heading from Babbitt, MN to the plant at Silver Bay, MN reach the half way point of the 47 mile trip.

With a SD40-3 on each end of the train, NSM 651 shoves 28 cars of 'tails' to Babbitt for unloading.

The mosquitos were thick as 6AM loads made way through Toimi, enroute to Silver Bay for unloading. The SD9043MAC's were in for 92 day inspections, giving the older SD's a chance to run the core tr... (more)

6AM loads head east to Silver Bay with a trio of matching SD40-3's.

A trio of SD40-3's lead the 6AM loads by Toimi, as a work train waits in the siding.

Raw ore heads for Silver Bay.

As rain builds and the sky darkens, the 1700 loads from Babbitt, led by two leased CIT (CEFX) SD9043MAC's, are quietly rolling down the NSM main towards Silver Bay.